


Some Families Are Chosen

by smarshtastic



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Background Relationships, Blackwatch Era, Blackwatch Jesse McCree, Blackwatch Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Families of Choice, Family, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, McReyes Week, Mom Ana Amari, Team as Family, background mcreyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 12:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8844817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarshtastic/pseuds/smarshtastic
Summary: Ana disapproves of this whole experiment. The child is just that: a child - it doesn’t matter that he had been with Deadlock for years. He has no business joining Overwatch. But Gabriel gets that stubborn look in his eye and he must say something to Jack because, sure enough, over all of her protests, they magic up the paperwork that makes the child’s criminal record disappear. Gabriel always did have a way of somehow convincing Jack to see things his way. They had a history. Sometimes it played out well, other times it played out very badly. This was one instance where Ana wasn’t sure which way the cards would fall.---In which Ana Amari must protect Jesse McCree at all costs.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fabrega](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabrega/gifts).



Ana disapproves of this whole experiment. The child is just that: a  _ child _ \- it doesn’t matter that he had been with Deadlock for years. He has no business joining Overwatch. But Gabriel gets that stubborn look in his eye and he must say something to Jack because, sure enough, over all of her protests, they magic up the paperwork that makes the child’s criminal record disappear. Gabriel always did have a way of somehow convincing Jack to see things his way. They had a history. Sometimes it played out well, other times it played out  _ very  _ badly. This was one instance where Ana wasn’t sure which way the cards would fall.

His name is Jesse McCree and he, for some inexplicable reason, dresses like he’d be right at home in one of those old Western movies she’s caught Gabriel watching from time to time. Ana wonders vaguely if it’s a Deadlock Gang thing - or if that’s just how children in the States dress. She makes a mental note to check Fareeha’s closet to make sure it’s not some awful trend. 

The first thing she does is scrounge up some clothes: normal jeans (the kids seem to like those), some sweaters (it’s cold at the Swiss base, and Ana’s research on New Mexico returned similar climates to her own home country), a few nice button ups, some undershirts and underwear (do boys still wear boxer briefs?), and a pair of very soft, very warm pajamas. 

Ana marches the bundle of clothes to the child’s quarters. Jack had tried to confine him for a while longer - at least until they were sure of his intentions - but Gabriel insisted the child have his own quarters so that he would feel more comfortable. So that he could learn to trust them. Ana had read something similar about teenagers needing to have privacy (Fareeha was just starting to come into her hormones, which was making Ana  _ very _ nervous). She knocks on his door, waits a moment, then lets herself in. 

Jesse is sitting on the edge of his bed, looking a little lost. Ana’s heart softens. He really is just a child. 

“I brought you a few changes of clothes,” Ana says, setting the bundle down on the bare desk. Jesse eyes her suspiciously. “My name is Captain Amari. Ana Amari.”

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” he says, nodding. He still doesn’t look like he trusts her.  _ Teenagers _ . Ana folds her arms over her chest. 

“There is clean underwear and pajamas,” Ana says. “Would you like to launder your… blanket?”

She’s really not sure why the child is wearing a blanket around his shoulders, but she tries not to be judgmental. Perhaps it is a comforting thing. It must be; he curls his fingers into the hem and pulls it tighter around him. 

“No thank you, ma’am.”

Well, at least he’s polite. 

“Have you eaten?” she asks. He looks skinny, underfed. He has circles under his eyes too. He shakes his head. Ana thinks about this, then nods. “Change your clothes. We’ll get you food.”

=-=-=

The mess is closed for the night, but Ana has a key to the kitchen. She lets the two of them in. 

“Sit,” she says, gesturing to a corner of the kitchen. Jesse goes without protest as Ana starts pulling ingredients from the fridge. “How old are you, Jesse?”

He doesn't answer for a moment. “Seventeen, ma'am.”

Ana frowns. A  _ child _ . 

“I have a daughter,” she offers. “She's younger than you. Maybe you'll meet her later.”

“Does she work here too?” Jesse asks after a moment. Ana glances up again. 

“No. She’s only twelve. I would never put her in danger like that,” she says sternly. Jesse looks down again and doesn't say anything. Ana frowns deeper and tries to lighten her tone. “Do you have family?”

“No,” he replies flatly. He doesn't offer anything more, and Ana doesn't press. This doesn’t feel like it’s going well. She doesn’t want to alienate him more than he must already feel. She plates up the food and brings it over to him. 

“Chicken and rice,” she says. “I always make this for my daughter.”

Jesse’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows down his words. “Thanks,” he manages to croak out. Ana returns to the stove to clean up.

“Eat, you’re too skinny.”

Jesse doesn’t say anything and Ana lets him eat in silence, keeping an ear cocked to make sure he’s actually eating. She washes the dishes and sets them out to dry, puts away the leftovers, then pours a glass of orange juice and brings it over to Jesse. She sits across from him. He glances up at her as she sits. 

“You work with Commander Reyes?” he asks. He’s obviously trying not to shovel the food down, instead forcing himself to take his time. Ana’s glad she made a double portion. 

“No, with Strike Commander Morrison. Commander Reyes runs a different branch of our organization,” she replies. Jesse nods slowly. He reaches for the orange juice. 

“Why’d they recruit me?” 

“I don’t know,” Ana answers honestly. Jesse looks at her for a long moment then nods. He scrapes up the last of his food. 

“Thanks for the food, ma’am,” he says. Ana softens. 

“Any time, Jesse.”

=-=-=

They ship Jesse off to basic training and Ana doesn’t see him for the next month. She frets about this more than she’d like to admit. Gabriel is more irritable than usual for those few weeks and Ana deduces the cause is the child’s absence. Gabriel does seem to come out of his head when the new team returns from basic. Jesse seems to have filled out a little - more muscular, but still too skinny for Ana’s liking. He looks happier, more trusting, less skittish. Ana reluctantly admits that maybe Gabriel was onto something with the child; maybe this was the place he was meant to be. 

She notices Fareeha was spending an inordinate amount of time with the boy. Ana worries about that too, but - as far as she can tell - they’re a good influence on each other. It also means that Jesse stays relatively close without her needing to go out of her way to keep an eye on him. He never asks, but there are times when he hangs around later than usual and Ana ends up feeding him. He’s a voracious teenager. 

It’s during these late night meals that Ana gets to know Jesse McCree. The more she learns, the more her motherly instinct wants to protect him. 

“My dad joined first,” Jesse says around a mouthful of chicken. Ana hands him a napkin with a stern look. He swallows thickly and wipes his mouth before continuing. “After my mom - after she died.”

Jesse shoves another forkful of food into his mouth, looking like he accidentally stepped over a self-imposed line he didn’t mean to cross. Ana decides to ignore it until he brings it up again. 

“And your father made you join?” 

“Sorta,” Jesse shrugs.

“How old were you?”

“Fareeha’s age, or thereabouts,” he says. Ana feels that protective instinct surge up in her throat again, tinged with anger. 

“That’s too young!”

Jesse shrugs again. “Didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

“Why didn’t your father…?”

“He was a deadbeat,” Jesse says, voice going hard and forceful. He doesn’t meet Ana’s eyes. “He fell in with the wrong type and dragged me right down with him. My mom was the good influence. Once she was gone - hell, it all went to shit. Sorry.”

“Just don’t teach Fareeha.”

“Hah. Yeah.”

Ana narrows her eyes slightly, just to make Jesse squirm. He goes back to shoveling food in his mouth. 

“What happened to her?” Ana asks after a moment. Jesse shifts, uncomfortable. 

“She died,” he says. 

“You said.”

“Look, I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” he says sharply. At Ana’s expression, he wilts a little. “Sorry.”

“You miss her.”

“Yeah,” he mumbles. He pushes the last of his food around his plate. Ana reaches out and puts a gentle hand on his forearm. 

“It’s alright, Jesse.”

He shrugs. “I got out. That’s what matters, right?”

“You’re safe here,” Ana nods. Jesse doesn’t say anything, just finishes clearing off his plate. Ana wonders what more she can do for this boy. 

=-=-=

“She was Navajo,” Jesse says in an offhand sort of way. He’s leaning his elbows on the table, watching Ana clean her rifle. Most of his limited free time is spent teaching Fareeha awful western slang, but every so often Jesse seeks her out. Ana glances up. 

“Your mother?”

“Yeah. You kind of remind me of her,” he says. He’s not looking at Ana, watching her hands on the rifle instead. She waits for him to say more, but he doesn't offer up anything else. “Can you show me how to shoot that?”

Ana looks up, hoists her rifle. “If you think you can handle it.”

That gets an actual laugh out of him - genuine surprise. He grins at her. 

“I reckon I might,” he says. Ana cocks an eyebrow. 

“Let's go to the practice range, then.”

Jesse’s a natural with a gun, there's no denying it. But the rifle is a different beast. He can't get flashy with the rifle like he's wont to do with his revolver (which, Ana notes, has a  _ spur _ on the handle, of all the crazy things). It takes him a few rounds before he really gets it; sinks into his heels, sights down the barrel, slows his breathing. Ana has to admit she's impressed.

“It's a good thing you're in Blackwatch,” she comments when they both remove their hearing protection. Jesse raises his eyebrows quizzically. “I'd worry for my job security.”

He laughs again, smiling a dopey smile that only serves to remind Ana just how young he really is. 

“I gotta get me one of these,” he says, handing the rifle reverently back to Ana. 

“Maybe if you asked Commander Reyes nicely,” she says. Jesse rubs the back of his neck and looks away. It's an odd gesture - something Ana can't connect with the emotion that flits across the boy’s face. 

“Yeah, maybe.”

“He is a good man,” Ana says with conviction. “He is tough and inscrutable but he is very good. He’ll listen to reason.”

Jesse nods but his smile has fallen a few notches. Ana makes a mental note to scold Gabriel for his apparent mistreatment of the boy. Jesse is doing his best and it would be a shame to break his spirit. Gabriel should value what he has. 

=-=-=

Ana checks Jesse’s dossier to find out his birthday. It’s coming up; he’ll be eighteen - an adult. It doesn’t make her feel that much better about his induction into Blackwatch, but at least it will be above board now. She tells Fareeha to bring Jesse around for dinner during their normal meal time. Ana gets to work scraping together ingredients and time in the mess kitchen. It's one of the only times she misses having a home of her own; shared kitchens don't have quite the same feel to them. 

As instructed, Fareeha brings Jesse for dinner at dinner time. She practically drags him into their quarters. 

“Mom! We’re here!”

“Come sit,” Ana says, bringing out another dish and setting it on the table. Since Ana has Fareeha with her, Overwatch gave them more expansive quarters. They’ve got a separate living area and two bedrooms. It’s practically luxurious, even if it’s nothing special. The two Amaris have done their best to make it homey; Ana hung Fareeha’s old drawings, and there’s a handful of pillows and blankets from her home country scattered on the too-firm sofa. A table and chairs sits under the window that looks out at the Swiss mountainscape. There’s a vase of flowers on the table - Fareeha had picked them with Gabriel when they went for a picnic when Ana was away on her last assignment. 

Jesse hesitates in the doorway, looking uncomfortable. 

“It’s just dinner,” Ana says, gesturing to the table. It's piled with food - Ana may have overestimated. 

“Mom makes the best food,” Fareeha says, sliding into a seat. “It took for _ ever _ to find him, mom.”

Jesse is making faces but he still doesn’t say anything. He takes off his hat - Ana drilled that bit of manners into him, at least - before he sits down next to her daughter. 

“You’ll see, Jesse. It's  _ way _ better than the stuff we get in mess,” Fareeha chatters, swinging her feet. 

“Guess I got lucky tonight,” Jesse says with a shrug. 

“Well it's your birthday! You have to have special dinner on your birthday,” Fareeha says. Ana watches Jesse’s shoulders go stiff and the already strained smile harden on his face. 

“How'd you know that one, huh?”

“Mom told me!”

Ana sets one last dish down on the table. “It's just dinner,” she says again, keeping her tone light. 

“But you made the rice pudding, right mom?” Fareeha asks anxiously. She looks back at Jesse. “It’s the  _ best _ .”

It takes a while, but Jesse warms up. Food is the secret to any man’s reticence, Ana learned long ago. Add in Fareeha’s infectiously cheerful chatter and Jesse never stood a chance. Soon enough, he’s laughing along with Fareeha, shoveling food down like he’s starving, and telling his own stories. Maybe she didn't overestimate the food after all. Ana smiles, a warm feeling in her stomach. When she serves Jesse the bowl of sweet rice pudding - adorned with a sparkler that Fareeha insists upon - Jesse’s smile nearly brings tears to her eyes. 

Jesse thanks her with a hug at the end of the night. He squeezes her tight, all gangly limbs and too-long hair. Ana thinks that a haircut is next on her list. 

“Thank you, ma’am,” he murmurs. Ana pats his cheek as he pulls away. 

“It’s just dinner, Jesse,” she says with a smile. Jesse ducks his head to hide his own smile and takes his hat off Fareeha’s head. 

“You behave for your mom now, you hear?”

Fareeha scrunches up her face but gives him a squeeze around his middle anyway. Jesse ruffles her hair and sees himself out. Ana is pretty sure she hears him whistling as he walks down the hall. 

“Come on, Fareeha. Let’s clean up.”

“I think it was a good birthday, mom,” she says, helping to stack the plates. “Do you think he liked it?”

“I think he did, sweetheart.”

Fareeha beams up at her mother. Ana kisses her head. 

=-=-=

“Gabriel, what are you doing to that boy?” Ana says, arms crossed over her chest and looking severe. She’s standing in the doorway of Reyes office, blocking his escape. Startled, Reyes looks up from his paperwork. He looks slightly panicked before he narrows his eyes. 

“What are you talking about, Ana?”

“Jesse McCree. That boy acts like he’s walking on eggshells all the time. Are you treating him well?” 

Gabriel blinks at Ana. She knows he’s struggling to find the words behind his neutral expression, but she lets him wrestle with it. 

“He’s a new recruit. He has a lot to learn,” Gabriel says finally. 

“He’s a  _ child _ ,” Ana says. Gabriel rolls his eyes.

“He’s eighteen, Ana. And he’s been on his own for longer - he wasn’t a child when he was running weapons with Deadlock.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“No, but he’s not made of glass.”

“He needs a lighter touch.”

“He can take it,” Gabriel shoots back. Ana levels a severe look at him. 

“What if he can’t?”

Gabriel sets his stylus down deliberately and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m careful, Ana. I know when to stop pushing him.”

“He needs more than that,” Ana says. Gabriel looks at her, his expression unreadable. There’s something going on there, but Ana can’t quite put her finger on it. Him and Jack both - always keeping secrets. 

“You don’t have to worry,” he says. 

“He needs love, Gabriel,” Ana says. Gabriel’s eyes widen, just for a moment. Ana presses on. “He needs family. He needs to feel like he belongs - not that he’s just another pawn for us to push around. We’re not like Deadlock. He doesn’t have anyone else, but he has to trust us.”

Gabriel lets his breath out in a woosh. “I know you don’t approve of Blackwatch, but we’re a tight-knit group. He’s safe with us.”

“It’s more than that. It has to be. This isn’t about proving something to Jack.”

“Of course it’s not,” Gabriel bites out. 

“Open up to him, be vulnerable,” she says. “Jesse is going to be a spectacular agent. We just have to make sure he gets there.”

Gabriel shifts in his seat. Ana doesn’t move from the doorway. 

“Be good to him, Gabriel.”

Ana turns on her heel and marches out, satisfied that Gabriel got the message. 

=-=-=

The first time Jesse gets hurt on a mission, Ana swears a blue streak at Gabriel in Arabic before she goes to the infirmary to check on the boy. He’s semi-conscious but concussed, with blast marks across his face and chest. It’s mostly superficial. Still, it looks bad. 

“Hey Captain,” Jesse slurs, having trouble focusing on Ana’s face. She gently pushes his hair back off his forehead. He leans into the touch, wincing only a little. Ana tsks. 

“You have to be more careful, Jesse,” she says. 

“Was an accident,” he replies, letting his eyes slide closed. She keeps petting his hair, soothing. 

“That's why you have to be more careful,” she says. Jesse makes a little noise that sounds like a laugh. Ana feels her lips twitch up in spite of herself. “Get some rest.”

“Mmhm,” Jesse mumbles. He's practically asleep already. 

Ana turns to head out of the infirmary and nearly runs into Gabriel. She narrows her eyes at him. 

“What happened?” she asks, voice low. Gabriel is holding his beanie between his hands, a muscle working in his clenched jaw. 

“Bastards sabotaged the explosives - Jesse got caught in the blast,” he says. Ana shakes her head. 

“You have to be more careful, Gabriel.”

Gabriel doesn't say anything, looking past Ana to the boy’s bed. The guilt is clear on his face. Ana softens, just a hair. She reaches out and squeezes his shoulder. 

“He's resting. I'll bring him soup.”

“Old Amari recipe?”

“That's the one.”

Gabriel nods. Ana starts to move away but pauses in the infirmary door to look back. Gabriel has taken a seat next to Jesse’s bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of his face. Worried. It warms Ana’s heart; Gabriel is taking this experiment seriously. 

She comes back later with a bowl of soup and finds Gabriel still there, dozing by Jesse’s bedside with his arms folded over his chest and his chin tucked down. Ana moves around him carefully to set the bowl of soup on the side table. Jesse catches her eye and gives her a tired smile. 

“Didn't want to wake him,” he says, voice quiet. Ana returns the smile, reaches out to neaten Jesse’s hair. 

“He was worried,” she says. Jesse raises one shoulder in a half-shrug. She gestures to the bowl of soup. “I brought you something. In case you get hungry.”

“I don’t think I can keep anything down at the moment,” Jesse says with a grimace. 

“You should at least try,” Ana says. “It’s easy on the stomach, and you’ll need your strength.”

Jesse smiles faintly. His eyes slide to Gabriel, who’s still dozing. 

“He’s been here for a while,” Jesse says. Ana nods. 

“He came as soon as he reported in to Jack.”

Jesse goes quiet for a moment, turning his head back to look at Ana. 

“You think Fareeha can come visit?”

“Maybe once you've had some rest. I'll send her to get that bowl,” Ana says. Jesse gives Ana another little smile. 

“Okay. Thanks, Captain.”

Ana pats his hand, returning the smile. He’s a tough boy. He’ll be fine.

=-=-=

Years later, Ana has to have a different version of the talk with Gabriel. She didn’t imagine that she’d ever have to have  _ this _ particular talk with Gabriel - at least not after the debacle with Jack in their early days - and  _ especially _ not about Jesse McCree. 

She corners Gabriel in his office when she knows he’s buried in paperwork, with no missions to escape to. Ana Amari might not be a tall woman but she could certainly be imposing. 

“Gabriel, what are you doing to that boy?” she asks, echoing her words from some of Jesse’s first days with Blackwatch. Gabriel certainly looks like a deer in the headlights this time, at least for a moment; a guilty conscience is easy to spot. 

“He’s not a kid any more, Ana,” Gabriel says gruffly. He shuffles some tablets around on his desk to avoid making eye contact.

“You’re responsible for him.”

“He’s his own man. He makes his choices on his own terms.”

“He’s your subordinate,” she presses. He raises his eyes to look at her critically. 

“I was Jack’s subordinate,” Gabe says, a tinge of bitterness coming into his voice. 

“You know very well it’s not the same. You and Jack started on equal footing. You brought Jesse up through the ranks here.”

“Trust me, I’m reminded of that fact every damn day.”

“If you hurt him, Gabriel -” she says warningly, her tone going deadly serious. Gabriel holds her gaze unflinchingly. 

“I’d sooner cut off my own hand.”

“He is not to be toyed with and discarded when you get bored.”

Anger flares in Gabriel’s eyes but he doesn’t move from his seat. “It’s not like that.”

“If this is some kind of fling -”

“ _ It’s not like that _ .”

Ana presses her mouth into a hard line and stares Gabriel down. They’re both too stubborn to back down. Ana doesn’t like this - it’s a bad idea for so, so many reasons - but she does trust Gabriel’s judgement. He would never endanger his agents, Overwatch, anyone. 

Ana wags a finger at him. “You hurt him and I will hunt you down myself, Gabriel Reyes.”

Gabriel blinks, a smirk coming over his lips. “Deal.”

=-=-=

Ana doesn’t miss the way the two men look at each other. She has her reservations about the whole thing, but to see the look on Jesse’s face is nearly a reward in and of itself. He’s happy, he belongs here, he’s loved. It’s all that she can ask for. 

**Author's Note:**

> I continue to blame [fabrega](http://archiveofourown.org/users/fabrega) for all of this.
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://wictorwictor.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/smarshtastic).


End file.
